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Officials blamed for spill to be punished

November 26, 2005|By Items compiled from Tribune news services.

HARBIN, CHINA — China's leaders sent a team Friday to investigate a chemical plant accident that poisoned a major river, saying officials responsible will be punished as the 3.8 million residents of this northeastern city went a third frigid day without running water.

Hundreds of villagers were being evacuated near Harbin on the Songhua River as toxic benzene flowed past. In China's southwest, some 6,000 people reportedly were evacuated following a second chemical plant explosion, raising fears of a new poisoning disaster.

The team of investigators sent to Harbin included disciplinary officials, which "indicates punishments of irresponsible acts are on the way," the official Xinhua News Agency reported.